IE 9 Hits Release on March 14

The release-to-Web version of Microsoft's newest browser version will be available for download on Monday.

IE 9 downloads will be available starting at 9:00 p.m. Pacific Time on March 14, according to the company's announcement today. A party for designers and developers will be held on that same day at 9:00 p.m. at Austin City Limits Live in Austin, Texas following Microsoft's participation at the South by Southwest (SXSW) event, also held in Austin.

Microsoft expects to host three bands for the party. It appears that those wanting to attend will have to have received an invitation or got on a list with Microsoft.

Dean Hachamovitch, corporate vice president of Internet Explorer, thanked the overall testing community for delivering 17,000 pieces of feedback to Microsoft, spanning from the time of IE 9's beta release in September to its RC release in February, as described in a Microsoft Channel 9 video. He noted that Microsoft made certain decisions about which HTML 5 features to support in IE 9, based not just on frequency of use, but also based on stability. For the promising yet still-evolving HTML 5 technologies not supported in the browser, Microsoft offers test cases for developers at its HTML5 Labs site.

Hachamovitch plans to deliver the keynote address at MIX 11 Web developer event in Las Vegas, which will open on April 12.

The final IE 9 release will arrive a little more than one year from the time that Microsoft announced its first platform preview of IE 9. A general overview of what Microsoft intended to accomplish with IE 9 is described by Ryan Gavin, senior director of Internet Explorer business and marketing, in this Q&A. A list of some of the top features can be found here.

For every birth comes a death, and when it comes to Internet Explorer, Microsoft is showing enthusiasm not just about the arrival of IE 9, but also about the impending death of its IE 6 browser. Microsoft started an Internet Explorer 6 Countdown site that will chronicle the fading use of its near-decade-old browser. IE 6 continues to be used, but it has potential security risks and requires that Web developers code for quirks.